Refrigerator



Feb. 23 192e. 1,574,569

R. FRAZIER ET AL REFRIGERATOR Filed June 17, 1925 2 Sheets-shea*v 1 E' 5 12 /Q 'a ulm To all whom t may concern.:

f Patented Feb.23,19216..

VlJlSIlrls'l) STATES-PATENT OFFICE.;`

c nornn'r T. FRAZIER, noNALDJw. BoDnY, AND CURTIS rsHAMLI'N, or cHATTANooGA,

TENNESSEE, ASSIGNORS TO TENNESSEE FURNITURE CORPORATION,OFCHATTA NOOGA,4 TENNESSEE, A CORPORATION OF TENNESSEE.

I nnrmenrwron.

Be it known that we, ROBERT T. FRAZIER, DONALD W. Bonny, and CURTIS F. HaMLIN, citizens of the United States, residing at Chattanooga, in the county of Hamilton and State of Tennessee, haveinvented certain new Aand useful Improvements in Refrigerators; and we hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification.

Our invention relates to refrigerators of the so called porcelain covered type. The

object of the invention is to provide a novel,

simple practical refrigerator^of such type which will be simpler in Yconstructlon, superior in durability, and of enhanced ref frigeratingf ability. 2o K' The complete refrigerator constructed` inI accordance with our invention comprises an assembled structural steel fram'e, enclosing an interior insulated container element, and supporting an exterior casing. JThe prevferred form of such refrigerator comprises fthree major elements to wit -(1) a con- Mtainer or containers enclosed ign-an insulated casing forming a single unit; (2) a structurall steel supporting frame; a'nd (3) an exterior casingattached to and enclosing 4,

the saidl frame. y

dI-Ieretofore refrigerators have been made with porcelain linings and coverecl` wltn porcelain on'the exterior. In most cases the exterior porcelain was held in place by .nickeled strips onthe corners, either angles or a combination of'jan angle and a three-k quarter tube; and while these refrigerators, when first made are attractive in appearance 40 i the practical use thereof various practical defects and objections have developed.

Heretofore the best of such refrigerators composed a wooden case 'linedfwith' porcelain, and covered-with porcelain`enameled 5 iron plates secured to the outside of the wooden case.A In warm humid weather the porcelain exterior plates sweat onthe in side, and the moisture .is absorbed by thel Wood frame causing the same to swell, and

5 0 force out theA screws that hold the corner l i Application sied .June I 17,

combinations'of parts lfor which 19525. serial No. 37,716.-

claims the essentials of the invention and I novel features of construction and novel protectionr is desired. In said drawings:v v `Figure 1 is a perspective view of a refrigeratorv with the doors removed and broken away in parts to show the interior construction.

Figure 2 is a vertical section through the refrigerator on the -line 2 2,v Figure 3.

Figure 3 is a transverse -section onrthe line 3 3, Figure 2. Figure his a detail.. I Referring -to the drawings the main fea tures of thel refrigeratorlshown are an L- shaped porcelain food container, a rectangurlar ice container, an insulating covering en-'l lstrips in place and dislocating-and rupturclosingfthe containers; a metallic skeleton supporting frame; and an exterior protective casing.' The L-sha ed container has a, flue punched through lts left hand upper wall communicating with 'the ice chamber,

,and a second flue lpunched through the top of the L, whichcommu'nicatesl with the bot,-

tom of the ice.chamber. The ice container is also Welded in one piecevand provided with iues registeringwith the'flues in the con` tainer, before mentioned.

T he food. container 1 is preferably made in Llsh'ape and ofone piece either of iron porcelain lined, or enameled br of porcelain, as usual. The rectangular container 2'forming the ice chamber is .also preferably made -of iron poroelain'ed lined or enameled.

These two containers are placed in position as shown with the container@ resting on the L of 1the container i., the openings or flues in rthe two containers registering as -f `shown at 1EL and 2a. `The two containers are then cemented together as'usual, and are then enclosed by an 4insulating co'ver1n,g,3r

' applied to the top, bottom, sides and back of the containers, as indicated' in Figs. 2 and 3,

such insulating covering being preferably made of the usual one and one-half inch insulationI or cork board. Obviously the .food and ice compartments might be' made in one casting, or could beotherwise formed, within the scope of the invention.

The united and insulated containers, as described, are then mounted inY a skeleton y metallic supporting frame; which frame preferably comprises corner angle-iron uprights 4a.

uprights are preferably connected at topby anangle-iron bar 4b, and at bottoiI'Jby an langle iron bar 4d, and `also by intermediate The two adjacent end angle iron angle iron bars 4 to form a stif substantial frame. .The two front uprights 4a yare fur- .therconnected by the transversely disposed angle-iron bars 4f atbottom Iand 4g at top. The 'two rear uprights 4a are also further connected by transverse angle iron bars 4hat top and 4k at bottom,` and may be also 'frame may be partially assembled and suit-- ably fastened together, so that sections of -the supporting frame can be vreadily placed around and applied to thel containers, to securely position the 'same Within the supporting frame, as indicated in the drawings.

The said skeleton metal frame encloses the top, bottom, both ends and back of the container. To the front side of this skeleton frame (at'the open front side of the containers) is preferably attached a wooden .frame 8 which'is preferably composed of three layers of wood as shown, and is suitably fastened to the skeleton steel frame members; said fro-nt frameA 8 is provided i .with openings to permit access to ,the ice chamber, the main provision chamber and the smaller provision chamber beneath the ice chamber,as\usual. The said openings are closable by suitable doors( not shown) which may be suitably hinged to the wooden Kframe and held'closed by the usual fasteners, not shown.

The skeleton metal frame also supports 'an exterior casing\ which may be fof metal or wood; but preferably comprises wooden side members 5; covered by vmetal side memiron plate 6l. metal bottom plate may be attached to the bers 6, which latter may be porcelain enam-l eled. `To the front of the woodenffram'e 8 may be 'secured lporcelain-covered metal plates 8% 8F as indicated in the drawings.. The back 5a maybe covered with galvanized If desired a Wall boardor bottom of the skeleton frame. The top may be covered by a wall board plate 12a covered by a metal cap plate 12. .The process of construction is preferably as follows:

, When the parts 1 and 2 are registered in position, 11/2 inch boards of cork are cemented to the outside thereof preferably by means of hydrolene, a tarry hydrocarbon. Thisholds the containers in place, and forms with .the containers a single homogeneous interior of rectangular shape.

The light angle iron members are formed into end frames as described and may be provided' with suitable truss bracing. The back lframe and the bottom frame are constructed in\ like manner; suitable gusset plates and corner braces provided with .holes for bolts may be welded to the several frames in such manner that they may be easily bolted together to form a rigid vrnetallic'frame structure to enclose and support the interior rectangular cork covered containers.

The outer casing of ordinary wall board lcan then be attached to the frame and over this is applied the outer porcelain or enameled steel or metal plates forming the exterior casing.

The ordinary wooden front frame made in theA usual form and provided with the necessary facing strips similar to the ordinary front is then securelybolted to the front of the skeletonl fra-me. The exterior enameled iron sheets are then applied to the wooden frames, said sheets made in metal formed to extend from in the rear over the ends and'to cover the front stiles up -to the door openings. The filling strips are then applied and' held in place by nails and screws passing through the said strips into the wooden front frame. Then the top plate 12 made in the shape of a pan with flanges is fitted over the whole and screwed or bolted in place.

The doors (not shown) would be made as usual with a basic woodenframe carrying the same ycork insulation on the inside, backed up with a porcelain lining and covered on the exterior with' porcelain pans f held in place with suitable screws, nails or bolts.,

The upper corners around the top and the bottom edge of the exterior enameledv iron sheets forming the case are what is termed in the trade black wiped; that is to say, in the process of enamelxing all of the White enamel for a space of 'Mg of an inch o-n each side of the corner is cleaned olf and then overv this -cleaned space a black enamel is applied giving the refrigerator an extremely neat appearanceof brilliant white, edged with a rather narrow black striping.- In

addition to the enhanced ornamental yapv pearancethe purpse of the black is to prevent chipping or cracking, since the basic enamel iron plates; and the interior and e-X terior members, together With the insula tion is sustained by the structural steel skeleton frame.

The usual removable ice pan 113 is shown in the bottom of the ice chamber and is notl a part of the present invention.

This refrigerator can be easily crated by means of special bolts 9 (see 2 and 3) which can beafiixed to the four co-rnersof the bottom of the refrigerator in place of the casters. These bolts are then` passe-d vthrough 2x4 members 10 of a rigid cross-l braced crate frame (not shown) land se-- curely fastened by suitable washers and nuts 9a, 9b on both'sides of the frame members 10. These boltsdo not touch the exterior porcelaln lenamelsurface, but are 'fastened directly to the structural steel frame in the Walls. 'As a further means of holding the refrigerator securely in the crate bolts 11 (see Figs. 3 and 4) may be tapped through members 10a of the crate and screwed into the4 :uutslla Welded to the inside of one of the angle irons 4m at the back of the'main skeleton frame said boltsbeing secured by nuts 11b and 11 on opposite sides of the crate The Whole crate is not shown member 10a. but the manner of crating the refrigerator will be readily understood from the foregoing, and it is obvious that when the refrigerator is thus crated any shocks in transportation sustained by the crate do not injure the porcelain enameled exterior o-f the refrigerator, but pass directly into and are absorbed bythe Vstructural frame Work inside thereof. By this method the crate is attached to the main supporting metal frame of the refrigerator as above described, and the connecting elements between the said crate and the said frame pass through the third element or exterior case'of the refrigerator. This method is different fromthe common practicef in crating refrigerators or other manufactures havingexteriors which' can be easily damaged. This method of crating makes it possible to ship the refriglerators with safety, because all of the shocks or strains received by thecrate in shipment do not affect the perishable exterior but are carried directly to the shock absorbing interior structure;

We claim 1. A refrigerator comprising a skeleton supporting frame havingaangu r upright-s and metal bars `connecting said uprights; a food and ice container mounted in and supported by said frame; an insulated lining covering the back, sides, top and bottom of said container; said container and frame having openings in their fronts to permit access to the container; an exterior casing mounted on said skeleton frame and supported thereby; and a Wooden frame atta ched to the front of the skeleton frame and having doors therein opposite the openings in the container. v

2. In a refrigerator as set forth in claim 1, the container comprising an L-shaped food container and a rectangular ice container mounted upon the L-shaped container and enclosed Wit-hin the said insulated lin- 3. A-refrigerator as set forth in claim 1, having porcelain covered metal plates mounted on the exterior of the said casing. 4.`A refrigerator comprising a skeleton metal .supporting frame; an interior food and ice container mounted in said frame;l

aninsulating lining covering the back, sides, top and bottom-of said container; an exteriorgcasing mounted upon and enclosing said skeleton frame; and a. wooden frame attached to the front ofthe said metal frame and having openings reglstering with thel openings 1n the iceand food compartments.

5 In a refrigerator as set forth in claim 4, the. container comprising an L-shaped food container and a rectangular ice container mounted uponv the L-shaped container and enclosed Within the said insulated lining.

6. In a refrigerator as set forth in claim 4, the kouter casing including exterior porcelain covered metal plates. n

7. A refrigerator asset forth in claim 4 having porcelain covered metal plates covering the top and sides of the said casing and front of said wooden frame.

8. A refrigerator comprising a skeleton metal supporting frame; an interior food andice container mounted in said frame and having openings for doors in'its front; an insulating lining covering the back, sides, top and bottom of said container; an exterior casing mounted uponahd enclosing said skeleton frame; and a wooden frame attached tothe front of the said metal frame and having openings registering with the openings in the ice and food compartments, substantially as described.

9'. In a refrigerator as set forth in claim 8, the container comprising an L-shaped food .container and a rectangular ice container lmounted upon the L-shaped container and 1l. A refrigerator comprising a skeleton supporting frame having angular uprights and metal bars connecting said uprights; a food and ice container mounted in and supported by said frame; said vcontainer and frame having openings in their fronts to" permit acess to the container and adapted to be closed by suitabledoors; and anv exterior easing mounted on said skeleton frame and supported thereby; kand a Wooden frame attached to the front of the said metal frame and having openings registering with the openings in the ice and food compartments.

12. ln a refrigerator as set forth in claim ll, the container comprising an l -sha}.led food container' and a rectangular iee Container mounted upon the L-shaped container and enclosed Within the said insulated lining. t

13 A refrigerator as set forth in claim ll having porcelain covered metal plates covering the top and sides of the said easing and front of said Woodeirfraine.

let. A refrigerator comprising va skeleton supporting frame having angular uprights and metal hars connecting said uprights at ends, front; back, sides,top and bottom; a

food and ice container mounted Within and supported by said frame; an insulated lining covering the top; bottom, sides and back cf said container; said container having openings in its front to permit access there to; an exterior casing* mounted on said skeleton frame and supported thereby; and a wooden frame attached to the front of -the said metal frame and having openings registering with the openings in the container.

l5. A refrigerator comprising ay skeleton supporting frame having angular uprights and metal bars connecting said uprights; a

lood and ice container mounted in and snpported by said frame; an insulated lining covering the top, bottom, sides and back of said container; said container and frame having openings :in their fronts to permit access -to the container and adapted to he closed by suitable doors; andan exterior easing mounted on said skeleton frame and supported thereby; and a Wooden frame attached to the front of the said metal frame and having openings registering with the openings in the ice and food compartments; and metal plates covering the top and sides of the skeleton frame and the front side of said wooden frame.

1G. A refrigerator comprising a skeleton supporting frame having angular uprights and nietal bars connecting said uprights at the ends, front', back, sides, top and bottoni thereof; a food and ice container mounted Within and supported by said frame, and having openingsfin its front to permit access thereto; an insulated covering mounted in 4said compartment covering the top, bottom,

sides and back thereof; an exterior casing` In testimony that We claim the foregoing 

